Burned by Rejection (Book 4 of Wolves of Milano )

20.Rules

Allegra got breakfast going and she even has the good kind of coffee. He is eternally grateful for that small mercy. He has to hide his stash of coffee in the enforcer’s house. The others buy the cheap stuff, and then use his if he forgets to hide it. She smiles at him as he enters the small kitchen area. The counter doubles as a table and the bar stools are a bit unusual for him, but he’s not going to complain. She made him breakfast. They are moving forward in this aspect. Feeding someone is important to a wolf. It’s a sign of friendship and respect.

“I owe you one. You cooked for me.” Allegra smiles. “And it gives us an excuse to spend more time together.”

“You don’t have to look for excuses.” He smiles back at her.

“I do. You don’t know me, not really.” She nods. She is embarrassed about something, but he won’t ask. He will give her the chance to tell him when she’s ready.

“Let me know you. Let’s give it a try.” Elio suggests. She looks like she will turn him down again. How come she doesn’t see it? They are perfect together. He can feel it.

“All right. Let’s try it. But I can’t do this for real. It has to be pretend. And I have rules.” She nods at him. 

“If you really want it that way, you will have to tell me why. I can give you a few days to get to know me. You will see that  I’m no threat to you.” He answers her. He won’t force her to talk, but he does expect answers.

“As long as you’re not in danger. And be honest with me about it. If Vito gives you a hard time, I want to know about it.” She agrees. She is reluctant, he can see it clearly. 

“Agreed.” Elio chuckles. He will get her to change her mind. He can show her a good time. He can be there for her. “Lay it on. Let me hear what rules you want to enforce.”

She looks at him sheepishly and bites her lip. It’s not going to be pleasant for him. He knows it just by the expression on her face. She wants to be comfortable and safe. She still thinks he needs to be saved from her. Preposterous! He needs her to live, just like he needs the air he breathes. She might not see it that way, but she needs him too. She might not want it, but that is the future for them. Be together and enjoy life. He knows they can make it work. He understands her better than she thinks.

“We can be seen together, we can go out. I would like to see the faces of my stalkers when you pick me up after work.” Allegra tells him. “But I need to limit our contact. No touching when we’re alone. I can’t think if you touch me. I would prefer no physical contact at all, but that wouldn’t be believable. So acting it is, when people can see us.”

“Still with the acting?” He sighs. She will insist on this nonsense? Can he do it? Can he pretend when it’s so very real for him? 

“I have to. I can’t do this for real.” She shakes her head. He thinks there is something more that she is not telling him. What is wrong with her? Why is she holding back? Why can’t she accept him as her mate?

He nods to her. He will respect her reservation, but he will work on his own plan. He will let her see the real him. He will let her get to know him. He will make her fall in love, because the alternative is worse than death. He has three weeks to do it. If he fails, he will give her his gun and ask her to shoot him. 

‘That’s a bit harsh! I think she’s traumatised enough as it is. Don’t add another grievance to her pile.’ His wolf scoffs.

‘Do you have a better idea? If she condemns me to die, she might as well pull the trigger.’ Elio answers. He adds:‘I intend to win her over. That kind of drama won’t be necessary if she accepts me.’

‘Good luck. I think you’ll need it.’ His wolf shakes his head. ‘Just so you know, I don’t want to die. You had better win her over.’

“If you want to pretend, then do it. I can’t stop you.” He tells her. “But know that I want this for real. I won’t pretend. I will do anything to win you over.”

“I think you will change your mind when you get to know me better. You will run away, just like everybody else.” Allegra shakes her head. 

“I won’t. But I will give you a chance to see what I mean.” He winks at her. “I have to go, but I can pick you up after work.”

“Do you have working hours? I don’t know how this enforcer job works?” She asks him.

“I’m always working. But, if Vito doesn’t call me, I have free time to spend as I wish.” He answers. “I have to go check what else he managed to ruin overnight. And I know that Theodore will tell me all I need to know. The rat was working behind my back. Now that he’s caught, he feels guilty and reports to me first.”

“Oh. They are all afraid of you.” She smiles. “Why?”

“Theodore challenged me on his first day. I might be quiet, but I do not condone nonsense. I handed him his ass in five minutes. Then I sat down and drank my coffee in peace.” Elio laughs at the memory. “It was a blessed silence for a week. I just have to look at them with a frown and everyone scatters back to their job.”

“So, it’s good to be you?” She inquires with a smile.

“Yeah.” He winks. “Later.”

He puts his helmet on and rides over to the enforcer’s house. He needs a shower and a good strategy. Vito will be pissed, because Marra is still in hiding. She will not give in. She told him as much. He only motivated her to spite him more. Vito might have ruined her business, but she will ruin him. He can’t wait to see Vito fall. This whole madness needs to stop before he exposes the shifter to the humans. The fire inspector for the city is a bear shifter, but can they get the right police detective to work the case? He knows there are bears on the police force, but not a single wolf. If they dig too deep, they might expose sifters. That would be a disaster not even the gods can cover up.

His shower needs to be fast. He’s already later than he thought he'd be. The house is on full alert and everyone is nervous. What is going on? Where is Theodore? He grabs his phone off of his bed and frowns. Four missed calls and he was in the bathroom for five minutes? Has the world stopped spinning or something? He knows that Vito has no patience, but this many calls in such a short time? Hell must have frozen over, he thinks. The surprise is even greater when he sees that it wasn’t Vito who called him. It was Ellena. The Luna never calls. She hardly ever says anything. What the Hell happened now?

“Elio? Get over here, now! We have an emergency meeting. Marra is here.” Ellena says when he calls her back.

“Five minutes. I just have to dress.” He answers. What is going on? Is this some sort of a dream? It’s not the end of the world and he missed the memo? Marra is at the Alpha’s house with Ellena and they have a meeting. With whom? 

-/-/-

She is sitting in the back row in her classroom. She is avoiding everyone as usual, but today she smiles. Elio agreed to the charade. Again. He said he won’t pretend, but she will. She has to. She can trick her mind if she thinks of this as an act. Her wolf is locked away behind the veil of pills and she feels alone in her skin. She is alone in her mind and she doesn’t like it. She has too much to think about. The crowd of her classmates is a welcome pacifier. She can’t afford to lose it here. She has to hold it together. She has to keep her anxiety in check. She can’t show any weaknesses to them. 

She can ignore the professor, he’s talking about things she already knows. She can focus on her plans. She has one more exam to go this semester and then she can work on her clothing line. Her ideas are good. Vesna had no complaints, and that is the important part. Her boss is giving her this chance to shine, so she will use it. She will make it special. It will be her own. Vesna might have influenced her ideas a bit, but it will be unmistakably Allegra’s line. People will see the difference.

She strays back to the rules she laid down for Elio. She might have been harsh, but she needs it. He does things to her body that nobody has managed before. She can’t trust herself not to give in. That would be wrong on so many levels. She can’t tie him to herself when he doesn’t know how bad she really is for him. She decided to set him free and she will. If he comes back, then it’s on him. She will do what she can. She will resist him. She knows that he could be her downfall. He can ruin her. He can bury her. He can tie her down and she is afraid of that. She is afraid of losing her freedom. She is afraid of ending up like her mother and Aunt Ellena. She would much rather skip over the trouble and heartache to become a successful businesswoman like Aunt Marra.

Allegra skips her next class to slip out of the campus. She takes the bus back to the city centre, grabs a sandwich at her favourite shop, and shows up to work a full hour early. She smiles widely as she sees Vesna standing in the store. Her boss finally decided to show up. The goddess looks amazing in her trademark green. The cut is spectacular! The dress is red carpet worthy and Vesna wears it for work. That is the confidence Allegra craves to have one day. 

How can she achieve that if she gets tied down by a mate? No matter how many times Elio tells her that he’s different, she has a hard time believing it. The things she saw as a child shaped her thinking too much. She has seen the mould and she refuses to be like that.

‘Ask Vannessa or Grazia. Do you think they feel tied down?’ Ty’s voice intrudes on her mind.

‘Where are you?’ Allegra asks back. She looks around, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

‘Come to the office. I hate to be gawked over.’ Ty answers.

She waves to Vesna before she walks to the back of the store. The office is on the left and her sanctuary is on the right. Ty said he's in the office, so that is where she’s going. She wants to know what he meant. Why is he listening to her thoughts in the first place? If he’s bored, he can go play with the ladies up front.

“I’m not that bored. Besides, you’re fun.” Ty winks at her and she melts. The guy is drop dead gorgeous. She reminds herself not to look straight at him. He can make her do things.

“Hey. So you decided to mess with me? Can’t you see I’m way ahead of you?” Allegra chuckles. He is remarkably easy to talk to. He knows what a mess she is and he tones down his abilities just for her.

“You are wrong. Elio won’t tie you down. The guy went over and beyond to help Alessio. I know he works with Vittorio, too. He took care of Grazia. He kept her safe. He respects the mate bond. He will lift you up when you need it.” Ty tells her.

“Do you know him?” Allegra inquires. She wonders what else Ty knows?

“No. I never met the guy. But Alessio and Grazia talk about him. I have seen him through their eyes. He seems like a decent wolf.” Ty cuckles and she hears bells ring. “Accept him and you won’t be affected by me anymore. The mate bond will protect you from my charms.”

“I can’t.” She shakes her head. “I can’t.”